Arson forces evacuation of elderly Written By Leon Thompson Wednesday, October 14, 2009 Housing site fire set in entryway ST. ALBANS CITY –– A sprinkler system late Tuesday night partially doused a suspicious fire that posed significant harm to dozens of elderly people here, according to Fire Chief Joe Beaudry.     Approximately 40 residents of Lake Street Housing, a senior complex that was created from a former Holy Angels Catholic Church building, were evacuated to the parish center until 1 a.m., two hours after the small fire broke out.     St. Albans City Police said that at 11 p.m., a small, suspicious fire was set in the first-floor entryway. The sprinkler system extinguished most of the fire, but authorities decided to evacuate residents on the first and second floors, as well as some from  the third and fourth floors. Some residents stayed inside.     “This shows the importance of why we need sprinkler systems in our businesses and private homes,” Beaudry said this morning.     No one was injured, but there was a lot of smoke, Beaudry said. One resident used a fire extinguisher on the blaze.     Damage was minimal and listed at under $1,000, but some residual effects lingered through the night. “You’re going to have some smoke odor,” Beaudry said of the aftermath of the blaze.     City and town firefighters responded to the scene, as did AmCare Ambulance Service. Beaudry said firefighters tried to vacuum up as much water as they could from the soaked carpets. He was meeting with the property manager today.     Firefighters started clearing the scene around 2 a.m. St. Albans City police detectives have launched an investigation with a Vermont State Police fire investigator.     “It’s very unsettling to have a fire like that in a building like that, where you have that many people in a building,” Beaudry said today.     St. Albans City Police today asked anyone with information or who may have seen anything to contact the Arson Tip Program at 1-800-32-Arson, or the police department at 524-2166.

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